Scared to Mix and Match With Metal Throughout Your House? Don’t Be. The Trend is On The Rise

Combining silver, gold, brass, or iron (just to name a few), is a great strategy for adding visual interest and depth to a space. At the Kuotes, we always love textured, layered, eclectic spaces, and mixed metals is an effortless way to make the pieces in your home look like they’ve been collected over the years. Here are some of the dos and dont’s when it comes to the mixing of metals.

Do choose a metal you love to be the most prominent in your space, then select one or two metal accents to complete the look. For example, gold ensures the room a sense of unity, and then the accent metals guide the eye throughout the space. If your kitchen hardware is in an oil-brushed bronze, copper pots and accent pieces will add a warm glow. If you have a more modern, stainless steel kitchen, choosing a chandelier or vintage piece with silver or gold can add charm and texture. You can also add in a chrome table or pendant light for metallic balance.

Don’t be afraid to mix both cool and warm tones. Warm metals (like gold and brass) come off as a rich pop of color and texture when placed with cool metals like silver and chrome. Many people think that matching your finishes is the best way to coordinate your home or kitchen, but in reality this often creates a monochromatic and less interesting look.

It is very important to consider your color palette when selecting your metal tones. Typically, you should use warm metals (like gold, brass, and copper) with warm hues (like reds, browns, and yellows) and cool metals (such as chrome and silver) with cool hues (such as blue, green, and violet). It is neutral rooms, however, that beg for metallic accents in order to add warmth, texture, and color. If you’re using gray tones, a gold mirror can make a room come to life. Use your metals to even out your room temperature.

Definitely do not forget to factor in texture, as it can make all of the different in a space with mixed metals. Combine matte, polished, and sleek, hammered finishes. Iron is the neutral of the metallic world. It is a modern industrial touch that adds a dark element to a palette that needs to be grounded or toned down. It won’t clash with other metal tones, and it also helps warmer metals, such as gold, gain a stronger pop of color.

Don’t be afraid to use other metallics as well. Mix your metals not only with your hardware and finishings—metallic textiles, artwork, picture frames, and wall paper are all options you can use. The two metals should never compete for attention. Mixed metals can also add dynamic to a room that’s otherwise perfectly symmetrical and matching. Play around with mixing metals in your home, but never go overboard and try to mix more than two.

2 Comments

I love mixing finishes. Like the article says though, its got to be in just the right way. It also depends on the actual gold or silver finish. Some are matte, some are brushed. It completely depends on what piece you’re looking at. But..I am here to tell you, it can be done! Browse through popular magazines like Elle Decor and HouseB eautiful to get great ideas.

I love looking through magazines for ideas. I definitely have some mix and matching going on in my dining room, and I get compliments on it all the time. I also love Pinterest for ideas, too. Same with Houzz. What did people do before the Internet? 🙂